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Our Commitment to Diversity

"Only by drawing the best talent from every sector of society can we achieve the scholarly and educational excellence to which we aspire." —Christopher L. Eisgruber, Princeton University president

Diversity and inclusion are central to Princeton's educational mission and its desire to serve society. Throughout the University, members of the Princeton community have a deep commitment to being inclusive because:

A diverse environment is more intellectually and socially stimulating. The variety of viewpoints creates more debate and encourages people to re-examine their own positions, with the potential of leading to new insights, in and out of academic settings. Research findings on the impact of diversity (.pdf) from the fields of psychology, sociology and economics show that experiences with diversity improve one's own intellectual skills and performance, improve self-confidence, decrease negative stereotypes and biases, and create awareness of inequalities and discrimination that may be — and often are — addressed through civic action.

Fairness is a core value of the University. Students, staff and faculty applicants of all backgrounds should have an equal opportunity to earn a position at Princeton, and then contribute and succeed in their future endeavors.

Princeton students should live and learn in an environment that reflects U.S. society and introduces them to the world beyond. In broadening the range of perspectives to which they're exposed, students will have a better understanding of the world and be better equipped to lead and serve others.

Because we believe — and know from research — that having a diversity of perspectives is crucial for excelling in our mission of teaching and research, we've invested inmany initiatives to make the campus more welcoming to people of all backgrounds. Also recognizing that access is key to inclusion, we are working to increase both physical access to the campus, see our map of accessible routes and buildings (.pdf) and digital accessibility.

With continual attention and effort, we're aiming at making Princeton's campus demographics reflect the United States' vibrant, pluralistic society while strengthening our values in every aspect of our campus experience.